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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · cabinet · sharp · wind · board · craft · calf · cold

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. craft — boats
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. board — to get on
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wind — moving air
  22. craft — a skill
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com